Linedata Services is crafting a new front-end trading interface, which it is likening to the cockpit of a jet fighter, with all the controls necessary to simply consolidate and navigate the various trading and analytics tools on the buy-side trader’s workstation. Coined Longview Live, the new version is being developed with the input of current Longview users, who had the opportunity to view a sample version at Linedata’s user group meeting two weeks ago.

Unlike many order management companies, Linedata does not plan to create its own execution management system, however its strategy with Longview Live is to create an execution dashboard that buy-side traders can customize to integrate with their broker-dealers of choice or EMS vendor of choice.

The dashboard, based on Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation technology, moves away from the spreadsheet approach traditionally used by most order management systems, and is more visually pleasing, notes Annie Morris, COO.

“We took a look at the trader’s whole day—all the systems on their desk top and pulled that into one platform,” notes Morris. The dashboard offers multiple trading destinations, indications of interest from multiple destinations (not just Autex), trading decision applications, commission budgeting, cash restrictions, pairs trading, algorithms, etc., all on a broker-neutral platform, she explains.

“We’re note going to build it all. This is where partnering comes in,” she notes. “We will partner with any broker, any EMS, to provide trading tools that our client wants to work with,” she says.

The graphics on Longview Live are one of the things that set it apart, Morris claims. “We use icons to indicate various things such as a notebook—which indicates that a manager has sent a note to the trader on an order. There are also icons that show the depth of volume in a stock. The product includes a watch list for low volume orders and highlights when there is crossing potential in a particular security,” Morris says. “There are various looks a trader can take to get more detailed views of particular orders or blocks to be traded,” she adds.

The prototype of the system was previewed to traders at Linedata’s Longview user conference. “This is just a preview, something to show the traders so they can make suggestions to us and let us know what they want. They’ve already made some suggestions, but we’ll continue the dialogue through meetings with them, which will continue through the next few months,” she says, emphasizing that this is just a first cut design and the product will not be released until it is perfected. There is no launch date at this time, but it will likely be by the end of the year.

Linedata has been in the order management space since 2001 when the company purchased the Longview Group to place the once back-office only Paris-based company into the front office arena. Since then, the company has gone through further acquisitions, including the acquisition of Global Investment Systems, a fund administration company, and Beauchamp Financial Technology, a vendor of trading and portfolio management solutions for hedge funds. The company’s goal is to offer clients the best of breed—and emphasizes that each product it offers has to be either one, two or three in the market.